UK.PEOPLE.GOTHIC
Frequently Asked Questions List with Answers
This document is posted monthly to uk.people.gothic and
alt.gothic.announce. The latest version is available from:
http://www.cimmerii.demon.co.uk/upgfaq
Mirror sites are:
http://www.darkwave.org.uk/faq (text)
http://www.netgoth.co.uk/faq (HTML)
ftp://goth-ftp.acc.brad.ac.uk/pub/faq/upgfaq.txt (text FTP)
You can obtain the latest copy via email by sending any message to:
Last updated 1/9/97 by Andrew Oakley :
Credits updated (JSA). Entire text document reformatted to 70 cols.
Thanks to all involved- credits at the end.
Important:
The inclusion or exclusion of a company or brand name in this
document does not necessarily mean that uk.people.gothic readers
endorse or object to a particular product. This document represents
suggestions and opinions of some but not all people on
uk.people.gothic, and as such you should not rely on any medical or
legal advice contained within.
Updates are welcomed. Please email Andrew Oakley
with subject "UPG FAQ".
0. Contents
1. Newsgroup charter and administrative information
2. What is the gothic subculture in the UK?
3. Isn't goth dead?
4. Why is goth ignored by the music media?
5. What makes something gothic? Am I a goth?
6. Where does industrial music / darkwave / cyber culture fit in?
7. How is vampire culture related?
8. Are goths involved with Satanism or paganism? I'm black / fat /
old / gay / disabled / Conservative, can I still be a goth?
9. Why not use alt.gothic or uk.music.alternative? When and to where
should I cross-post? What is a troll/trolling?
10. Which goth celebrities participate? Is that a genuine post from
Rosetta Stone / James Ray etc?
11. What is a net.goth? Is there really a test / T-shirt / meeting?
12. Can I legally put goth music samples/cover scans on my web page?
13. What's so special about Whitby?
14. How do goths cope in rural areas or towns with no goth scene?
15. How do I keep my black clothes black?
16. How do I dye fabric?
17. Which black hair dye is best? What is crimping? What is a "my
little pony" / "pineapple" / "manic panic" hairstyle?
18. What type of paint should I use on my leather jacket?
19. What musical equipment is used to achieve common goth sounds?
20. What health implications are there in using speed / heavy
caffeine use / being anorexic / avoiding the sun?
21. Why do so many goths listen to Radio 4? Why are people listing
London underground stations? What is Mornington Crescent / ISIHAC?
22. Volvos?
23. What does "perky" / "mopey" mean?
24. What other Internet resources exist? What clubs / events are on?
25. Which goth bands have official web pages?
26. Where can I buy gothic clothes?
27. What paper-based fanzines exist?
1. Newsgroup charter and administrative information
Our single line description is:
uk.people.gothic: Gothic culture, music, fashion and events in the UK
Charter:
"The uk.people.gothic newsgroup will be open to discussion of all
aspects of gothic lifestyle, including the aspects of art and science
that are relevant to gothic culture. It is hoped that the newsgroup
will become a central place for discussions about the medium within
the UK."
uk.people.gothic is not moderated. It came into existence on Monday
the 5th of June 1995. Binary posts are not permitted. Text posts
giving URLs of binary material or pointers to binary material on
alt.binaries.gothic are welcomed.
Brief infrequent commercial posts advertising products and services
relevant to the UK goth community are permitted. Long, frequent or
irrelevant commercial posts are not welcomed.
uk.people.gothic carries around 60 messages per day.
2. What is the gothic subculture in the UK?
The word "gothic" is derived from the name of an early European tribe
called the Visigoths, who enjoyed pillaging and raping and were
famous for being uneducated and lacking in artistic taste. The term
was also used from the middle ages onwards to describe a type of
architecture; in particular cathedral arches with a sharp high point
in the centre. Around the Victorian era, the label was also applied
to horror novels by authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelly and
Bram Stoker.
Use of "gothic" to describe the music and social subculture began in
the late 1970's with Punk and New Romantic, but origins can be traced
back Egyptian times and before. The scene blossomed in the 1980s and
spawned many chart-topping hits from goth bands including The Sisters
of Mercy, The Mission, All About Eve, The Cure, Siouxsie and the
Banshees, Fields of the Nephilim and Christian Death. The mid-80's
"classic goth" sound was characterised by jangly mandolin-style semi-
acoustic guitar, steady one-note basslines, simple but fast rhythms,
heavy use of synthesisers or effects processing and powerfully dark
vocals. Early 80's goth bands had a far more punky feel. Although
some of the "classic" bands are still going, and much loved by many
of today's goths, they are not the main focus of goth culture today.
In the 1980's, goth became not just a musical style but also a
clothing fashion. The look was typified by dyed black voluminous
hair, pale skin, tight black clothes, pointed boots and lots of
silver jewellery (often using religious designs from early European
and ancient Egyptian culture). In particular black leather biker
jackets, black skin-tight jeans, black fishnet stockings and black
aviator sunglasses became goth trademarks.
The early 1990's saw a huge change in the goth scene. The media
coverage died quite quickly, spurred on by the press hunt for
something- anything- new, despite a short burst of continuing chart
hits by big-name 80's goth bands. Goth music soon lost media coverage
and new goth bands found it difficult to get airplay or even record
deals.
However, the subculture not only survived, but strengthened. Networks
of goth organisations, held together mainly by the booming nightclub
business, ignored the media's ridicule and continued to develop.
Cheap, readily available technology, such as desktop publishing and
home recording, kept the scene alive with hundreds of fanzines and
demo tapes of varying quality. This rebirth was helped greatly by a
Hollywood Victorian Horror revival, with box-office hit films
including "The Crow", "Edward Scissorhands" and "Interview with the
Vampire" bringing new interest in the goth scene. Goth fashion
changed subtly, with crimped hair, high ponytails and combat trousers
from the Grebo/Crusty scene, long straight hair, velvet and lace from
Victorian Horror, leather and rubberwear from the fettish scene, hair
bunches, zips tops and hooded tops from techno. There is also a slow
take-up of tattooing and piercing, but with nothing like the
popularity in the US and Canada. By far the most popular goth fashion
item remains skin tight black jeans.
Music plays a smaller part in the goth scene of the 1990's than it
did in the 1980's. There isn't a definitive goth sound any more;
although there are still common factors such as haunting vocals and
synthesised dark effects.
The 1990's goth subculture in the UK is more to do with style,
attitude and the social scene- the style is black, the attitude is
dark and the social scene is buzzing.
3. Isn't goth dead?
The UK goth scene not only continues today, but is attracting a new
young crowd. There are certainly a number of goths who enjoyed the
scene in the 1980's and continue to enjoy it today; but on the whole
most of today's goths are aged between late teens and late twenties.
This isn't discriminatory, but a reflection of most nightclub
audiences.
There are several 90's goth bands who have had hits in the national
or independent charts, including Garbage, Rosetta Stone, Sheep On
Drugs, Nick Cave, Nosferatu, Curve and so forth. Many of these bands
may not admit to being goths, but neither did many of the so-called
goth bands of the 80's. They may not sound like 80's goths- often
they don't use the jangly guitars and driving basslines associated
with the 80's- but they all have powerful, haunting vocals and a dark
theme to their music, without resorting to death metal nor industrial
styles. And they look like goths. What else would you call them?
On the whole, 90's goth bands find it difficult to get media coverage
or radio airplay, and there are scores of 90's goth bands which can
pull good crowds- easily selling out small to medium-sized venues-
which you'll never hear of in the charts. For example London After
Midnight, Stun (formerly Children On Stun), Die Laughing, Inkubus
Sukkubus and Manuskript.
There are also many goths who don't listen to much goth music; who
dress goth and think goth but listen to industrial, metal, techno or
alternative. Popular bands that goths tend to like include The
Prodigy, Front 242, Cubanate, Menswear, White Zombie, Pop Will Eat
Itself, Front Line Assembly and Nine Inch Nails.
4. Why is goth ignored by the music media?
The music media aren't there to reflect the current music scene; they
exist to sell magazines and advertising space. Journalists like to
see themselves as "discovering" new talent, rather than having talent
evolve gradually from one genre to the next.
Thus the music press won't entertain the possibility that goth has
slowly evolved into something new. They have to wait for the scene to
die away so that they can "discover" it again. But goth hasn't died
away, so the press label goths as "hangers-on" who still listen to
80's music- despite a wealth of new talent!
This is where the Internet comes into its own. There are no editors
to decide what's "cool" and what's not. You don't need the approval
of a record company boss to advertise your album. No-one can censor
the letters page. A thousand fellow fans can be contacted for less
than the price of one stamp. The Internet represents media democracy;
goth is popular in the real world and this is reflected on the
Internet.
Sadly the real world prejudice applied to goth means it can be
difficult attracting new interest off-line and this affects bands and
clubs who have a problem publicising their events. Due to media "goth
racism", events are publicised off-line by flyers at other events,
mailing lists and fanzines- in other words, a goth grapevine.
5. What makes something gothic? Am I a goth?
There are no hard and fast rules; anything which has an air of dark
power is gothic. Some people also refer to goth music as "darkwave"
"goth techno", "dark alternative", "electro", "ambient ethereal" and
a hundred other phrases which may or may not be strictly applicable.
Whether or not you choose to adopt the "goth" tag is up to you.
Certainly, dressing in black, crimping your hair and attending the
Whitby festival will get you classified as a goth by your friends.
But there are plenty of people who think of themselves as goths who
don't do any of these things.
6. Where does industrial music / darkwave / cyber culture fit in?
There are many industrial bands which can be considered goth, and
these two musical genres often share common styles, sounds and dress.
But there's plenty of industrial bands which aren't goth (Nitzer Ebb)
and goth bands that aren't industrial (Die Laughing).
Darkwave and Electro is also referred to as Goth Techno and these
bands represent a very extreme interpretation of the goth ideal which
has picked up fans rapidly in the mid 90's. These bands (such as
Girls Under Glass) generally mix slowed-down analogue techno with
digital new romantic synths and goth vocals.
Cyberpunk is closely allied with goth, but focuses on a dark future
rather than drawing on a dark past, and is also primarily concerned
with fiction rather than music. From a fashion and attitude
perspective these two genres are easily intermixed.
7. How is vampire culture related?
Until recently, vampire culture has had virtually nothing to do with
goth. Most goths- at least the vast majority of UPG readers according
to a 150-post strong thread in January 1997- think that vampires
represent all that is pants in goth. Plastic fangs are not merely
frowned upon, they are completely and utterly taboo and anyone
wearing them might as well go the whole hog with a T-shirt saying "I
am tosser. Please do not talk to me or even make eye contact".
Genuine teeth extensions are considered less naff (although few get
past the inquiry stage- when they realise it's an affordable GBP80
upwards from willing dentists, it all goes quiet), whilst the
books/films Dracula and Interview with the Vampire are generally
well-loved. Think Victorian rather than Trick Or Treat and you might
get away with it. Occasionally. Don't push your luck.
Vampire legends exist in most cultures and hence are an important
part of world mythology. Vampires are used as and make excelent
allegories for all that some of us see as evil in the world, for
example corporate greed, dictatorship and fascism. For more
information see alt.vampyres.
8. Are goths involved with Satanism or paganism? I'm black / fat /
old / gay / disabled / Conservative, can I still be a goth?
Goth is not a religious, political, racial, sexual nor occult
movement, and there are goths of all faiths, races, beliefs and
orientations. If you want to be a goth, be one.
The majority of goth bands are either non-religious or actively anti-
religious. Religious imagery, particularly that of Christian Catholic
(crucifixes), Ancient Egyptian (Ankhs) and Pagan (Pentacles) is
popular, as it conveys the "darkly powerful" feeling associated with
goth music.
The number of Pagans is noticeably higher amongst goths than other
similar social groups, this is probably due to the cynicism over
organised religions. Goths tend not to want to worship a religion
which often treats gothdom as 'evil'.
Paganism should not be confused with Satanism, although the Pentacle
and Pentagram are identicle in appearance. Pagans believe in the
balance of nature, and do not have fixed notions of "good" and
"evil". Many Pagans also practice magicke, which links them to the
Wiccan religion and technically makes them Witches, however in the
same way not all goths are Pagans, not all Pagans are Wiccan. The
band Inkubus Sukkubus are particularly pro-Wiccan.
There are few genuinely Satanist goths. It is important to realise
however that Satanism has nothing to do with sacrifices or ritual
abuse, this is merely a media image. Satanism is no more or less evil
than other beliefs.
You can find FAQs on Paganism, Wicca and Satanism at rtfm.mit.edu.
Goths tend towards socialism in much the same proportions as any
social group with a majority aged late teens to late twenties. There
are also Young Conservative goths, communist goths, fascist goths and
anarchist goths. Another, growing trend in amongst 90's goths is that
of political apathy; the view that none of the political parties make
any difference, sometimes allied to conspiracy theories. This is a
favourite topic of the band Rosetta Stone.
Racially, goth is a very "white" culture, although there are a number
of Asian and Oriental goths, together with smaller groups from other
races. The reason for the abnormal white population may have
something to do with style (a pale, gaunt appearance is fashionable)
or the fact that there is a very strong black rap subculture which is
more readily available. Neil Gaimen's Neverwhere series on BBC2
proved that being black is no reason to not be goth. Goths are rarely
racist and are often concerned at the lack of multiethnicity within
the culture.
Despite their often androgynous or transvestite appearance, goths
have pretty much the same spread of sexuality as any other similarly
aged social group. There may appear to be a higher incidence of
bisexuality, but this could simply be because goths tend to be more
open about their preference. Many goths- particularly heterosexual
males- can feel misunderstood when picked upon just because of
transvestite elements of their dress, and will take offence from
being called "queer" or so forth even when they don't consider
homosexuality as bad.
Whilst goths generally do aspire towards a thin, gaunt appearance
there are many "porky" goths, and people of a larger than average
size will have few problems mixing with goths.
Disabled goths are a very common sight, and it is almost impossible
to go to a goth event without seeing a wheelchair. Unfortunately most
night clubs are upstairs or in older, less wheelchair friendly
buildings.
9. Why not use alt.gothic or uk.music.alternative? When and to where
should I cross-post? What is a troll/trolling?
uk.people.gothic carries about 60 messages per day. It is about the
social culture of goth in the United Kingdom. This includes fashion,
music, events and other related cultural topics. It was created
because alt.gothic became too large for people with lives or jobs to
keep up with. Which may well seem like a contradiction.
alt.gothic carries well over 300 messages per day, and many UK goths
see much of alt.gothic's traffic as either childish or specifically
American, but that's 90% of Usenet culture for you. There are many
nuggets of gold to be found in alt.gothic, but sadly they are often
very well hidden.
alt.gothic.announce is alt.gothic's sister group and is widely read
by uk.people.gothic readers, carrying about 3 messages per day. The
group carries news items such as tour dates, new releases, new web
sites, events and so forth. It is moderated but few posts are ever
rejected. There is a special address for posting to
alt.gothic.announce if you wish to cross-post to uk.people.gothic.
Send your post by EMAIL to:
uk-gothic-announce@maekong.ohm.york.ac.uk
This will post to alt.gothic.announce and uk.people.gothic, and set
the followup to uk.people.gothic only. You should NEVER followup on
alt.gothic.announce.
alt.gothic.fashion is currently as busy as u.p.g, but doesn't seem to
have the propagation across news servers that it deserves. It is
another child of alt.gothic, created to carry clothing and styling
discussions.
alt.binaries.gothic is rarely used, not counting sporadic appearances
by warez doodz, porn spammers and the like. Due to the general nature
of the alt.binaries.* hierarchy (gigabytes of filth, by and large), a
lot of newsadmins on academic sites refuse to have anything to do
with it. The group exists for binary posts such as pictures or sound
files with a particularly gothic theme.
aus.culture.gothic is (not surprisingly) the Australian equivalent of
u.p.g, which makes it the ideal place to ask if Holden Commodores are
goth.
alt.personals.gothic exists, and that's about as much as I can tell
you about it. It is also rumoured (by people who spend more time in
alt.config than I do) that an alt.music.gothic is carried on some
servers.
uk.music.alternative carries around 20 messages per day and is
specifically about alternative music liked by UK fans. Goth music is
sometimes discussed there and there are often cross-posts with
uk.people.gothic, but non-music topics are not appropriate.
rec.music.industrial carries about 150 messages per day and is
regularly the subject of cross-posts from uk.people.gothic and
alt.gothic, reflecting the mixed status of much modern goth music.
Again, non-music discussions about culture or fashion are not
appropriate here.
Other groups such as alt.music.* also sometimes discuss goth music.
alt.games.mornington-cresent is occasionally cross-posted to when
discussing the best way to get to Slimelight (see section 21).
As with all Usenet groups, you should keep cross-posting to a
minimum. If you do cross-post, try to limit the followup newsgroups
to two or less.
A troll is one of -
i) A carefully disguised post containing (more or less) clearly false
information. Obvious clues used to be crossposts to alt.troll or
alt.fan.ted-frank.
ii) Any message along the lines of 'goths are a bunch of prats' or
'why don't you all get lives?'
iii) Anything crossposted to alt.fan.karl-malden.nose, ever.
If you read a post and think to yourself 'What on *earth* is this
person on?', the chances are you're dealing with a troll. Remain
calm. Trollers are sad wee individuals who can't find sexual partners
and take out their frustrations on the Usenet, where they get their
gratification from winding you into an apoplectic frenzy. If you feel
you must respond, make sure your posting style is more Oscar Wilde
than Gerry Sadowitz. Sexbat's guide to napalming the clueless and the
troll FAQ are both excellent sources of further reference.
Hunting down trolls posting from bogus addresses and shopping the sad
buggers to their postmasters is a fine way to learn how the Internet
works and splendid fun to boot. [IMHO, anyway- JHR]
10. Which goth celebrities participate? Is that a genuine post from
Rosetta Stone / James Ray etc?
An increasing number of goth bands have Internet access, many
providing official contact points and information sites. Few of these
participate in discussion.
Larger bands including London After Midnight, James Ray and so forth
sometimes post to alt.gothic.announce, uk.people.gothic and
alt.gothic with news of gigs and releases, but are far less likely to
be found taking part in discussions. Often their posts are submitted
by officially designated minions such as webmasters.
Porl King, Rosetta Stone's singer, does participate in
uk.people.gothic quite often, particularly in response to post-gig
discussions or questions about his records.
There is also a high level of participation from smaller bands, not
just in relation to their own activities, but also in general
newsgroup chatter. These include Phantasmagoria, Earth Calling
Angela, Libitiana and The Tortured.
Nightbreed Recordings (Trev and Mark from Nottingham) have Internet
access but have not yet posted to UPG. Contrary to their t-shirts'
inferrences, they do not own the domain netgoth.co.uk (currently
being registered by a collection of UK net.goths including Nic
Gibson) nor the email address gothic@netgoth.co.uk (which has been
offered to Rosetta Stone who have nothing to do with Nightbreed).
11. What is a net.goth? Is there really a test / T-shirt / meeting?
Originally, the term "net.goth" started out as something of a joke on
alt.gothic, and was applied to anyone who scored over 80 points on
The Goth Test, a humorous text article. References are occasionally
made to there being a goth card (mainly to tease newbies/confuse
trolls) and about losing goth points if you admit to liking something
decidedly non-goth.
The Goth Test is available at Sexbat's Aircrash Monthly:
http://www.demon.co.uk/bat/aircrash/gt.zip
"net.goth" is now applied to anyone who frequently posts to
uk.people.gothic, aus.culture.gothic or alt.gothic, and a strong
sense of community has grown up around this Internet culture. In
North America, net.goth get-togethers called Convergences started in
1995 as a meeting for net.goths. The first was in Chicago in 1995,
the second in Boston in 1996 and 1997's will be in San Francisco. All
net.goths worldwide are welcome. uk.people.gothic has not had events
quite of this size, but postings are made before concerts, club
nights or Whitby to UPG so that net.goths can meet up (usually in a
convenient nearby pub). Identifying laminates were produced for
Whitby 1996 to help the net.goths identify each other, and have been
used since to help new people spot net.goths. net.goths will often
invite other uk.people.gothic readers to their parties. There are
also occasionally net.goth meets not connected to particular events
such as shopping expeditions and some very large picnics.
T-shirts are often available for sale, usually printed in short runs
of 20 or so and sold on either a reserve or first-come-first-served
basis. Usually a post is made to a newsgroup with the information,
and a URL given so those interested can see the design.
A selection of net.goth logos is available at
http://www.demon.co.uk/bat/aircrash/netgoth/logos.html
Most people ask for the newsgroups' input on slogan, colors and any
non-logo design before printing.
Many net.goths have a web page with photos, writings, artworks and
links. Check out this page for a well-rounded view of
uk.people.gothic's denziens:
http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/b.rosenberg/goth/gallery/index.html
12. Can I legally put goth music samples/cover scans on my web page?
Generally, no.
Under English law, any work of art is copyright provided the author
is identifiable and has not stated that the work is not copyright.
For instance, a band does not have to say "Copyright 1996 Goth On A
Rollercoaster" in order for their songs to be copyright. It is enough
that they put their name on the CD.
Sometimes artists will specifically state that their work may be
reproduced. Often there will be restrictions added into such
statements, so make sure you're fulfilling the artists' requests.
It is illegal to reproduce any copyright work in any form. This
includes sampling and scanning, even for back-up purposes. You can
get a big fine and could even go to prison for breaching copyright.
MIDI files, unless they are produced with the permission of the
original work's owners, breach copyright by their very existence.
Two ways to legally reproduce copyright material are:
Firstly- this is the easiest and best option- you could get
permission from the copyright owner. Write to the band using
snailmail (paper and ink). Usually, even big name bands will grant
you permission for fan-based non-profitmaking purposes, but you
should get that in writing. Sometimes you will be referred to a third
party, such as the Mechanical Performance Copyright Society (MCPS),
Performing Rights Society (PRS), record company or solicitor, who
have made a legal agreement to represent the band in certain
copyright matters.
Secondly, you could copy a small portion (for instance, a 30-second
sample) of the copyright work to accompany a review. Just as
magazines are allowed to quote short passages of books they are
reviewing, so you can quote short passages of music you are
reviewing. The quality of the sample is irrelevent. The review must
be a genuine effort to review the work and not just as an excuse to
include the sample.
The previous copyright exemption under English law for educational
purposes no longer exists.
Finally, beware the Performing Rights Society. They have been known
to claim to represent bands who don't have any agreement with them.
Early in 1996 the PRS claimed to represent Rosetta Stone and
threatened legal action if their samples weren't removed from the
official alt.gothic FTP site. It turned out that not only had Rosetta
Stone never asked the PRS to represent them, but Rosetta had placed
their samples on the site themselves!
I would welcome advice from experts on Scots, Welsh or Ulster law.
13. What's so special about Whitby?
The Whitby Gothic Weekend is the Glastonbury of Goth; it is a
three-day event featuring goth bands, goth DJ's, fashion shows,
market stalls, games and other entertainment. Whitby started with 200
goths on holiday and has expanded to 1000 goths invading the fishing
village of Whitby in Yorkshire with 120 net.goths present in 1996.
Whitby Gothic Weekend (WGW) started almost by accident in 1994 when a
goth lady called Jo Hampshire decided to go on holiday to Whitby. The
fact that it is legendary for being the landing place of Dracula
didn't come into it - Jo just fancied a seaside holiday. Several
friends decided to come along with her and in the end she invited
some more and told them to 'bring a crowd'. When 200 goths tried to
all get into the pub simultaneously on the first evening, it was
clear that there was something of an enthusiasm for an event where
goths effectively went on holiday.
The Whitby Gothic Weekend has an official web site:
http://whitby.darkwave.org.uk
Check there for the latest info on the event and how to get tickets.
Jo Hampshire (Top Mum) is the top "person behind it all" of the
weekend. Every year she has put together a well-rounded weekend to
please everyone from the net.goths to the Vampire Society and all in
between. Jo has organised more and more activities, and the Weekend
now has a full three days of events, including bands, DJs, a market,
annual competitions, and of course, a certain amount of time is spent
enjoying the seaside attractions of Whitby itself. Jo has soothed the
locals' fears, tried to give the press a correct picture of goth and
has booked some of the creme de la creme of goth bands. Jo is a UPG
reader.
Whitby was also a location in the "Dracula" novel- the spot that
Dracula's boat landed in England. There is a museum and related
Dracula items are available. Vampire fudge, anyone? Whitby has many
other attractions: touring St. Mary's church and graveyard, visiting
the Captain Cook Museum, hiking up to the 13th/14th century Abbey,
admiring the architecture, and looking into the art galleries,
museums and jet works (the stone, not the engine).
14. How do goths cope in rural areas or towns with no goth scene?
Living in a rural area doesn't stop you listening to the music,
wearing the clothes or participating with the culture through the
Internet or fanzines. Equally, just because you're a goth it doesn't
mean you can't wear blue jeans and chat with the locals one day and
wear a black dress and bugger off to Birmingham the next. Don't
alienate yourself unless you really can deal with it- you don't have
to look like Morticia Addams 24 hours a day to be a goth. Try a
hairstyle that can be washed out such as crimping, gelling, high
bunches or hairspray. Build up a good collection of jewellery and
accessories which can dress up monochromatic normal clothes to look
goth.
Provincial goths will often "adopt" a non-goth nightclub (even just a
pub with a disco), usually one which has an alternative, indie or
student night. Try bringing along your own records early on in the
evening- the DJ is more likely to take requests since there is no-one
dancing anyway. Or you could badger your local pub to put a goth
compilation in it's CD jukebox. Alternatively, visit dedicated goth
nightclubs whenever transport is available.
You could also ask on uk.people.gothic whether there are any other
goths in your area- there may be another just down the road from you
that you never knew about! In particular, uk.people.gothic is useful
for organising lifts from rural areas to large cities with goth
events.
15. How do I keep my black clothes black?
Black clothes, particularly the cheaper T-shirts, can lose their
colour very quickly if machine washed frequently and become a washed-
out grey. The two most important factors when washing black clothes
are detergent and heat. But before you even consider how to wash an
item, read the label.
Bucket with number: Indicates maximum machine wash temperature in
Celsius. Ignore this and the item may shrink or go grey very quickly.
Bucket with hand: Do not machine wash; hand wash only. Often this
means the item will crease, shrink or grey easily.
Bucket crossed out: Do not wash. You might be able to dry clean it.
Square with circle: Suitable for tumble-drying.
Square with circle crossed out: Do not tumble dry. Usually seen on
clothes that shrink or damage easily, or on printed clothes where the
design will melt. Drip dry instead and beware of melting.
Triangle: Suitable for dry cleaning using Chlorine bleach.
Triangle crossed out: Do not dry clean using Chlorine bleach.
Iron with dots: Shows the maximum iron setting. Higher settings may
melt the fabric and printed design, or produce an irregular shiny
sheen.
Iron crossed out: Do not iron. Try drip-drying or drying on a flat
surface if you want to get the item straight.
P in a circle (ahem): May be dry cleaned.
P in a circle crossed out: Do not dry clean.
With machine washing, most of the colour detergents are a
considerable improvement over normal powders. However, if you machine
wash black clothes frequently, even with colour detergent, you still
will notice greying after six months or so.
Non-colour detergents often contain optical whiteners which will show
up as thousands of white specks when exposed to ultraviolet light
(such as at a nightclub).
Concentrated detergents are probably more trouble than they're worth,
and in particular some concentrated detergents eat holes in thin
fabric.
If you have a problem with greying, try doing a "black only" wash
using half the recommended amount of colour detergent. Avoid using a
programme over 40 degrees Celsius, and if possible wash at 30
degrees. Lower temperatures can also help avoid shrinkage.
Even better is to hand-wash valued black clothes. Use warm but not
hot water (you should be able to immerse your hands comfortably) and
only one tablespoon of Twin Tub detergent. Rub the clothes together
to get rid of dirt; remember you only have a small amount of
detergent so you have to put in a bit more manual effort to get the
clothes clean.
Tumble drying will not normally affect black clothes. That said, many
black shirts and skirts- particularly "one size fits all" imports-
are made from viscose, which shrinks and creases irreparably when
tumble-dried. Woollens may also be unsuited to tumble drying- check
the label.
If you really must iron printed T-shirts, turn them inside out and
place a clean tea towel on top of the printed area. Use a low heat
setting with no steam.
You can blacken badly greyed clothes, provided they don't have a
printed design, by dying them. This is especially effective for jeans
with greyed knee areas.
16. How do I dye fabric?
The fabric must be able to withstand 60 degree Celsius water and must
not be damaged by creasing. Cold dyes exist but they're a pain in the
neck to use and the colour doesn't stand up to repeated washing.
Buy some Dylon Hand Dye (Woolworths sell it along with their sewing
stuff) and a bag of cooking salt. Then get hold of an old bucket or
bowl, a pair of rubber gloves and a clean wooden stick (the bowl,
gloves and stick will be stained afterwards). You will also need
access to a kettle, a large measuring jug and hot tap water.
To dye the fabric a solid colour such as black, simply follow the
instructions supplied with the hand dye. Don't skimp on the salt as
this fixes the dye and helps stop it going grey. For better results,
use extra dye and leave things to soak overnight. To get hard wearing
fabric (such as cotton or denim) really, really black, simmer the
fabric in the dye for an hour in a jam cauldron.
You can produce weird colourations by tying up the fabric prior to
immersion in the dye.
To produce tie-dye circles (spots of deep colour with undyed streaked
circles around them) get some string and wrap it around the fabric
tightly many, many times then tie securely. Alternatively tie knots
in the fabric itself. Tied areas will not get as much dye as the rest
of the fabric (or none at all if tied tightly).
To produce criss-crossing streaks of bold and light colour, less
clashing than tie-dye circles, tie the item up with rubber bands in a
random fashion. Use as many bands as possible and have the bands tied
over each other.
To produce a really mental marbled effect with hard wearing fabric
(such as cotton), cook the dye-soaked fabric in a microwave then
rinse immediately. Beware that condensing dye may permanently
splatter the inside of the microwave. Make sure the item has no metal
fixtures such as buttons or zips. Microwaved dye tends to produce
deep and brilliant colours which do not fade even after years of
repeated washing.
It is vitally important that you rinse away excess dye when you've
finished any dying process. The item might not be as well dyed as you
thought, and might drip excess dye onto other items. Repeat rinsing
until the water runs clear.
Further information on dying can be found at:
http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/b.rosenberg/goth/#clothes
17. Which black hair dye is best? What is crimping? What is a "my
little pony" / "pineapple" / "manic panic" hairstyle?
All these tips apply to Caucasian hair. I would welcome hair tips
from Asian, Oriental, Afro or other ethnic minority goths.
Temporary black hair can be achieved by using one of the wash in/wash
out colours available in Boots or Superdrug. These are usually one
part gel or cream dyes which you use like a shampoo. Everything you
need is supplied, however the plastic gloves which peel off the back
of the instructions are useless, you should use household washing-up
gloves or you can buy latex surgical gloves in Boots.
Temporary dying is easy. Simply wash the dye in to clean hair and
wait the appropriate amount of time. You might need to use two packs
if you have a lot of hair. Once the dye is on you do not need to heat
it or wrap your head in clingfilm, just wait. Once the time is up
wash the remaining dye out and rinse thoroughly.
Depending on which brand you buy, the colour will begin to wash out
in 3 to 5 washes. Many people have said Boots own brand is not
exactly temporary.
Dying your hair black permently is a little more involved. Permanent
dyes are two part and must be used with care. You can not buy full
strength permenent dye in the high street as it can be dangerous.
Unlike temporary dyes you apply the mixed chemicals to you hair with
a brush or applicator. It is important to 'mask' off the skin around
your hair line as the dye will stain. You can use vaseline as a
barrier cream (much amusement can be gained by buying your vaseline
and gloves at the same time!).
Once you have covered your hair you must wait. Because the dying
process is a chemical reaction waiting longer will have no greater
effect. After the required time you should rinse out the dye and wash
your hair thoroughly. The colour will 'bleed' for a few days, but
this is normal and is more likely to be coming off your scalp than
your hair itself.
Recomend brands are Clairol Nice n Easy (124), Lorial and Boots 28
Wash, however results from Boots brand seem to vary.
A hair dying FAQ can be found at
http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~tiggerr/dyeing.html
If you want to bleach your hair, BBlonde from Boots works well and
comes with full instructions. If you want a bright colour, but don't
want to bleach your entire head, try bleaching small sections of it
instead: bleach locks of hair, approx 5-10mm wide (larger sections
will give a very stripey result), evenly distributed over your head -
maybe bleach only 10-15% of your head to begin with.
You can use this technique to add 'white' stripes into black hair, or
to add vivid colours. A good vivid colour dye is Directions by La
Riche, which comes in a good range of shades and is available from
many alternative clothing shops.
The best easily available hairspray for sculpting hair is probably
Shockwaves Ultra Strong. The classic basic goth hair-do is the 'big
hair' / 'manic panic'. A good example is the style adopted by
Patricia Morrison (the female ex-Sister of Mercy). It requires long,
dyed hair, which has been cut with layers to allow the top to gain
enough height when backcombed. By crimping and backcombing, you can
gain an enormous hairstyle which you can then proceed to pull back at
the top and sides and clip into a high ponytail, leaving the rest to
hang down.
To get through the crimp-and-backcomb process, I can't recommend
highly enough the in-depth guide to gothic hair (and make-up) in Take
A Bite, the net.goth handbook, written by the excellent and expert
Count Von Sexbat. This is available from:
http://www.demon.co.uk/bat/aircrash/archives.html
and tells you in detail how to produce the basis for any 'big hair'
look.
You *can* use spray-in colour of the sort available from party shops
with 'Space Age! Unisex!' written on the can, but be warned, if you
spray all your hair black with these and then go to a club, you will
look like a coal-miner after about half an hour, as it smudges off on
everything in sight. It's better to spray small sections, say, a
white streak on black hair, or vice versa. It's around GBP2.50 a can
so you can probably experiment a little. The main disadvantage of
this stuff is that you will probably have to wash it all off before
you go to bed; that or sleep with your head inside a bag.
Extensions are also a harmless way of getting amusing shades of
non-natural hair - you can buy these in clumps from Kensington
Market, or certain hairdressers will be able to get you the colour of
your choice if you ask nicely. You can opt for a couple of locks in
a different colour (my hairdresser currently charges a pound for
putting in a clump of any colour you like); or a whole head of hair
down to your knees which will hurt a lot, both physically and
financially (100 quid plus) and frighten almost everyone.
Crimping produces hundreds of small, tight waves in the hair and is
done by clamping locks of hair between hot curved metal plates. It is
basically a "temporary perm" and lasts two or three days but will not
withstand rain nor washing. Babylis are the leading crimper
manufacturer and basic crimpers cost around GBP15 from Argos or
Boots. Old goths also comment that if you can get older crimpers in a
second hand shop ('especially gas-powered ones') these will be far
more effective (if they work at all- check before you buy!).
For best crimping results, do not crimp immediately after washing
your hair- allow at least a day. Long, straight, greasy hair is
particularly well suited to crimping. Bleached hair is particularly
NOT suited and may snap off. Consult your hairdresser if you are
worried about damaging your hair, or try crimping a test section at
the end of a lock of hair.
Crimping all your hair will take between thirty to ninety minutes
depending on how much of the stuff you have. Switch on the crimper
and allow it to heat for 10 minutes. Then, take a 2cm wide lock of
hair and clamp the base of the hair between the hot plates. Don't
crimp too close to the roots- it will hurt. You may notice steam
rising from your hair or a smell of burning. This is normal,
especially with greasy hair. Count to twenty then continue down the
lock. When you reach the ends of your hair, only count to five since
excessive crimping will result in split ends. Continue with the next
lock of hair until all is done. Use a comb or hairband to separate
the crimped from yet-to-be crimped hair. When finished, run through
your hair with your fingers or a wide toothed comb to stop the locks
sticking together. Do not brush your hair or use thin toothed combs
as the crimp may be straightened.
"My Little Pony" is used to describe high bunches or ponytails;
either one ponytail at the top centre of the head swinging backwards,
or two bunches to each side of the top centre swinging backwards or
to the sides. This works best with long straight hair or long crimped
hair. Bend over so that your head is upside down, or lie down flat on
a bed, and comb through your hair thoroughly. Grab a bunch of hair
and tie it very tightly as close to the head as possible with a small
hair band. If you wish, you can wrap lace around the base of the
bunch to make the bunch stand up further away from the head. If you
have loose hairs at the back of your neck you may wish to shave these
off. Some goths have managed to combine extensions, big hair,
crimping, backcombing and accessories together with small clothing
and high heels to such a degree that they look as if they consist
almost entirely of these hair-dos, and furthermore, can only dance by
twisting their heads from side to side.
"Pineapple" describes a single high ponytail together with long loose
hair at the back. Comb through thoroughly and separate the hair at
the sides and top from that at the back. Put the front and side hair
into a high central ponytail as outlined for a "My Little Pony"
style. Leave the back hair loose over down your back and over your
shoulders.
18. What type of paint should I use on my leather jacket?
Use acrylic paints and a clear acrylic lacquer/varnish (available
from WH Smiths). Get a small, soft brush which can be moistened into
a clearly defined point. Clean the jacket with a damp cloth and let
it dry thoroughly.
Sketch the design out using feint chalk or make a stencil using
masking tape. Paint in thinly applied layers and allow each layer to
dry fully. Apply four or more coats. Finally, apply two coats of the
lacquer over the design plus a 1cm border.
The more coats of paint, the less cracks appear. You may wish to
touch up the design once a year or so. Lacquer will also stop the
design cracking and getting dirty.
19. What musical equipment is used to achieve common goth sounds?
For the 80's sounding jangly guitar, a semi-acoustic guitar is a
must. This has a more natural, medieval mandolin sound than an
electric guitar, but packs more punch than an acoustic when used for
melodies.
Drenching any guitar with a chorus effect seemed pretty much
mandatory at one stage (most Mission, first Sisters LP). Flange the
bass if you want to sound like the Cure or Souxsie, or just turn all
your effects up to 11 and jam around if you want to sound like
Bauhaus. The only mob with more effects than your average goth band
were the shoegazers.
Digital synths such as the Yamaha SY and Korg M series can produce
some excellent string sounds which have become more popular with 90's
goth music. Don't skimp on your synths; old synths and home keyboards
can sound cheesy with too much squeaky treble. A good digital
synth should be able to produce deep, resonant string sounds. Choral
sounds are also the domain of the digital synth; look for a range of
human waveforms which can provide bass notes that don't sound too
breathy and soprano notes which don't sound like the Smurfs. The
Yamaha SY35 and SY22 have some stunning string and choral patches as
factory settings (although they may require some fiddling with to
make them more punchy) and can be bought second-hand for GBP250 or
less.
The reverb effect is the most popular goth effect and is also the
most expensive. It provides a cathedral-like echo used to make jangly
semi-acoustic guitar riffs and haunting, swirling vocals. Units start
with budget floor pedal boxes from GBP60, then quickly progress into
MIDI multi-effects units and on to expensive dedicated reverb units.
For synths, it is often better to look for a synth with reverb
built-in as this usually allows for reverb on one voice whilst
leaving other voices alone. Synth reverb is especially effective on
string arpeggios, choral chords and staccato woodwind melodies.
A gate effect is popular with industrial crossover bands, to chop up
vocals or guitar to make them sound more artificial. Repeatedly
triggering gates from MIDI sequencers can make electric guitar
chords sound like punchy rhythms. Gate effects can be found in many
MIDI multi-effects boxes and some analogue synths, in addition to
expensive dedicated racks.
Analogue drum machines were used on early 80's goth music and are
becoming popular again, although you're going to have to fight a lot
of techno-heads for them. These can produce very artificial sounding
rhythms using white noise and basic waveforms through analogue
filters. A good model is the Notavation Drum Station which retails
for around GBP450 new, but if you don't have time to program your own
drum sounds, you may be better off with a synth or sampler equipped
with a good set of TB808 drumkit samples. For the adventurers, the
Roland MC-303 Groovebox GBP500 seems to be an ideal piece of kit as
this combines analogue drums with analogue synths, as does the Yamaha
CS1X GBP600 which has a full sized keyboard. For purely analogue
synths try the Notavation Bass Station at GBP350. If you have money
and patience, some of the 'classic' analogue synths are worth a look
(Prophet V, Jupiter 8) if you can find a good one.
Goth has been going for around twenty years now, so you'll need
plenty of imagination and inspiration if you don't want to sound like
Goth By Numbers.
20. What health implications are there in using speed / heavy
caffeine use / being anorexic / avoiding the sun?
At this point I'd like to restate that the author has no medical
qualifications and you should seek professional medical advice before
acting on any information given here. Information was obtained from
a variety of sources including the British Medical Journal and the
top of my head.
A fine set of drug-related FAQs and archives are available at:
http://hyperreal.com/drugs/
Dexamphetamine is the usual constituent of 'speed'. Because reduced
appetite is also a side-effect of amphetamines, they have been used
in the past as a treatment for obesity. A new amphetamine drug,
dexfenfluramine, is now prescribed for this purpose as it carries no
risk of addiction. Some amphetamines are prescribed to asthmatics.
Amphetamines promote the release of noradrenaline (a chemical that
controls the level of activity in the brain stem where the spinal
cord joins the brain) thus increasing brain activity in this and
other parts of the brain. In low dosages, this increases wakefulness
and concentration. Some individuals, particularly the elderly or
those with psychiatric problems are particularly sensitive to
stimulants and may suffer adverse effects, even if exposed to low
doses.
Amphetamines reduce the levels of natural stimulants in the brain
stem such that after regular (ie. daily) use individuals may come to
physically depend upon them to function normally. When used by people
who don't need them or in excessive doses they result in
over-activity of the brain, extreme restlessness, nervousness and
over-anxiety. Amphetamines can cause shaking, palpitations, sweating,
breathing difficulties. Exceptionally high doses can produce fits
(similar to epilepsy) and hallucinations.
Regular users can expect to suffer constipation, mood swings, and
become emotionally unstable. If amphetamines are always used for a
particular activity, e.g. clubbing, users will gradually come to
depend upon them to enjoy/be capable of performing that activity
normally. They will also suffer a reduced resistance to infection
(immune system is compromised).
Use of amphetamines at any stage of pregnancy increases the chances
of premature birth and a low birth weight.
In short, they're pretty nasty if you overdo it. Amphetamines are
classified under Schedule II (Class B) of the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Possession in any form is illegal without a prescription.
Theoretically, if you inject speed it becomes a Class A drug.
The sun interacts with a pigment (Melanin) in your skin to form
Vitamin D. Vitamin D is vital for maintaining strong bone structure
and teeth. In adults, a deficiency in Vitamin D causes backache,
muscle pain and easily breakable bones. Vitamin D is available in
perfectly adequate quantities from Oily fish (Sardines, Tuna,
Herring), liver, most dairy products (milk, cheese, egg yolks). As
long as the diet contains these, sunlight is not a requirement.
Vitamin D supplements are available cross-counter. Skin ages more
rapidly when exposed to the sun.
Essentially, risks associated with avoiding the sun are low as long
as you eat sensibly, and your skin will be healthier than somebody
who spends all day in the sun.
Heavy caffeine use will make you irritable and, in the extreme, could
make you violent. Slight weight loss is not uncommon. You will tend
to swear more and get annoyed easily. It can also increase your blood
pressure, which can cause heart trouble. If you use caffeine tablets
such as ProPlus or high-caffeine drinks such as Jolt or Virgin Energy
to keep you dancing at nightclubs, drink other soft drinks to
replenish your energy and quench your thirst (not Cola since that
contains more caffeine, and not diet drinks since they do not contain
much energy).
Anorexia Nervosa is a mental eating disorder which usually begins as
a voluntary effort to lose weight. Anorexics simply don't eat very
much, if at all. An Anorexic is unable to recognise when they have
lost too much weight, or alternatively they may have some other
reason for avoiding food (often family or social problems). Apart
from being very thin and not eating, other symptoms include blotchy
skin, general ill health, permanent tiredness, wasting muscles and
depression. Death is not uncommon in extreme cases. Anorexia is a
matter for a doctor who may refer the patient to a specialist.
Bulimia is very different to Anorexia. Bulimics will tend to eat as
much, if not far more, than a normal person, but will employ various
tactics to purge excess food from their system. Vomiting is common,
and usually this results in strained stomach muscles and mouth ulcers
from stomach acid. Only in extreme cases do stomach ulcers occur.
Bulimics sometimes suffer from general ill health and long term
circular phases of weight loss and filling out, but on the whole they
do not feel depressed and are indistinguishable from normal people.
For professional help regarding eating disorders contact the Eating
Disorders Association: Tel. 01603 621 414, Mon-Fri 9am-6:30pm. EDA
Youth Helpline (18 & under) 01603 765 050, Mon-Fri 4pm-6pm.
If you want to loose weight safely and permanently, eat sensibly and
exercise regularly. Exhertive nightclub dancing and sit-ups are good
at shedding pounds, but you should consult your doctor before
radically changing your lifestyle.
21. Why do so many goths listen to Radio 4? Why are people listing
London underground stations? What is Mornington Crescent / ISIHAC?
BBC Radio 4 was formed in the late 60's out of the remains of the BBC
Home Service, and continues a very similar schedule. It is especially
well known for in-depth news coverage, science, drama and comedy and
has virtually no music. It broadcasts between 92 and 94MHz FM/VHF and
on 200kHz (1500m) AM/LW.
Radio 4's goth popularity may be because goths empathise with the
historical days of the British Empire and the "stiff upper lip" style
of Radio 4. Another theory is that Radio 4's news coverage is both
intelligent and mainly about death, much like most goths'
conversations.
Mornington Crescent is a game played on the Radio 4 comedy quiz show
"I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue" (ISIHAC). The game is played using the
London Underground railway map and the winner is the first to arrive
at Mornington Crescent. Players name stations in turn, but some
stations may constitute illegal moves. Newcomers are advised to learn
from the experts at alt.games.mornington-crescent
22. Volvos?
Volvos are very popular with goths. It might have something to do
with their hearse-like appearance (Volvos, not goths). Or maybe goths
get ridiculed so much that they're the only people who can drive
Volvos and not feel embarrassed. Who knows? But they are very popular
with goths. [Based on a very small and biased sample -JHR]
Goth transport is whatever gets a goth to and from the pub/club/Miss
Selfridge/Neff gig with appropriate comfort and convenience. This may
range from clogs and a dog on a string (Neff/NMA gig) to a blown,
lowered & tubbed '65 Chevy Impala with a 1K sound system. [Are you
sure about this bit, John? -Ed]
Matt black anything is bad, bright pink Stalwarts are good. Hearses,
if you must, are fine when carried off with style. [You're sacked
-Ed]
23. What does "perky" / "mopey" mean?
"Perky" is a term applied to goths who like to dance energetically
and grin manically. Perky goths tend to dress more casual than mopey
goths, preferring hooded sweaters, combat trousers, heavy boots or
trainers- and some of their clothing may even be colourful! Polka
dots are considered quite perky, mostly due to the Strawberry
Switchblade style of dress. Perky make-up tends to be less precise
and painstakingly done, as the most important thing is getting on
that dancefloor! An inclination towards industrial or techno tastes
is common.
"Mopey" refers to goths who take themselves too seriously. You can
find mopey goths in the dark corners of clubs, staring blankly at
their pointed feet and not talking. Should you be lucky enough to
engage in conversation with a mopey goth you will most likely be told
exactly why The Crow isn't the least bit goth and how the last
Current93 album was poorly produced compared to their earlier work.
Although primarily motionless creatures, mopey goths are prone to
extreme physical violence.
These are, of course, sweeping generalisations with no basis in fact
whatsoever.
24. What other Internet resources exist? What clubs / events are on?
A list of official band web sites is in section 25 "Which goth bands
have official web pages?".
The official alt.gothic ftp site contains text documents, pictures,
sound files, guitar tabs and more at:
ftp://goth-ftp.acc.brad.ac.uk
Doktor Joy's Gig Guide is a well respected guide to UK goth and
industrial clubs and events. It is posted weekly to uk.people.gothic
and alt.gothic.announce and can be found on the Web at:
http://www.darkwave.org.uk/~dok/Helix/
Monochrome BBS is a British student telnet bulletin board which has a
vibrant goth discussion section "Gotham City" with various text
resources ([M][M][G] from main menu once you have an account). See:
http://www.mono.org
There are loads of unofficial band sites and other goth web pages; e-
zines, clubs, people, you name it. It is pointless trying to list
them all here because hundreds will complain they've been missed off,
and by next week half the locations will be outdated.
Probably the most comprensive and regularly updated index of goth
pages is VampLeStat's Gothic Resources:
http://www.vamp.org/Gothic/resources.html
Yahoo put goth pages mostly under Industrial, Alternative or Indie,
but there is a gothic bands index:
http://www.yahoo.co.uk/Entertainment/Music/Artists/By_Genre/Gothic/
Yahoo is subject based. For keyword searches try Altavista:
http://www.altavista.digital.com
Keep an eye on alt.gothic.announce for news of new goth Internet
resources including web pages.
Gothic IRC channels do exist, but they're not well used by British
goths. #gothic is a good start.
25. Which goth bands have official web pages?
These following goth bands and record labels have OFFICIAL web pages.
Where mirrors exist, only the UK/European site is listed. There are
many more unofficial fan sites, try a search engine such as
Altavista:
http://www.altavista.digital.com
or VampLeStat's gothic resources:
http://www.vamp.org/Gothic/resources.html
Alien Sex Fiend
http://www.zynet.co.uk/steelwolf/ignore
All Living Fear
http://www.lis.aston.ac.uk/amp/all_living_fear.html
Big Electric Cat
http://www.hallucinet.com/cleopatra/bigElectric.html
Chaos Engine
http://www.epinet.co.uk/~hirez/chaosengine
Cleopatra Records
http://www.hallucinet.com/cleopatra
Cure
http://www.the-cure.com (Band authored)
http://miso.wwa.com/~anaconda/cure2.html (Fan authored)
Das Ich
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/das_ich
Dead Can Dance
http://www.nets.com/dcd/
Dreadful Shadows
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/DreadfulShadows
Earth Calling Angela
http://www.jericho.demon.co.uk/eca
4AD Records
(Lord knows, these days. Xmal and the Cocteaus, whan I were a lad)
http://www.4ad.com
Garbage
http://www.garbage.com
Judith
http://www.carpe-mortem.org/Judith
Libitina
http://www.darkwave.org.uk/~jsa/libitina
Marionettes
http://www.lis.aston.ac.uk/amp/marionettes.html
Mephisto Walz
http://www.sirius.com/~mephisto/mwhome.htm
Mute Records
(Nick Cave, DM, Neubauten, etc.)
http://www.mutelibtech.com/mute
Nightbreed Recordings
(Suspiria, Midnight Configuration etc.)
http://netgoth.co.uk (ha ha, only kidding)
http://www.nightbrd.demon.co.uk
Phantasmagoria
http://www.pntsmgia.demon.co.uk/
Projekt Records
(Arcanta, Black Tape, Lycia, etc.)
http://www.projekt.com
Rosetta Stone
http://goth.acc.brad.ac.uk/rosettastone (Fan authored)
http://www.blakmail.demon.co.uk (Band authored)
Sheep On Drugs
http://www.brainwashed.com/sod
(Children on) Stun
http://hem.passagen.se/harlot/Stun.htm
Sunshine Blind
http://info.pitt.edu/~amkst38/Sunshine.htm
Switchblade Symphony
http://www.pitt.edu/~kebst22/switch.html
The Wake
http://www.nethomes.com/thewake
26. Where can I buy gothic clothes?
It's not actually that difficult to get hold of an immense
gothic wardrobe, but it will take some imagination and a certain
amount of cash for the particular. Although there are actual
gothic clothes shops and manufacturers where you can buy off-the-peg
velvet dresses, lace skirts, and what-have-you, many goths do
not live near them and cannot afford forty pounds for a black
crushed-velvet dress that lots of other goths have already
bought. So here's some alternative suggestions (assuming you
are, like most of us, on a budget and don't want to buy everything
in London!). Personally I don't think I've ever paid over
25 pounds for a single item of goth clothing, and that was for
a full-length velvet coat - most things come much, much cheaper
if you keep looking.
First of all, you need to have a rough idea of the look you
are going for - Victorian, scruffy, futuristic or clubby. After
that, the best approach is to look hard in unlikely places...
The high street can have a huge amount of potential, particularly
in the post-Xmas sales when a huge amount of black velvet and
lace is on sale in the form of cut-price party dresses. Several
goths I know get all their going-out-clothes in one massive sales
swoop. This approach may not work so well in summer! Top Shop
and Miss Selfridge are stores which frequently come up with
some excellent goods - from PVC trousers and skirts, black
mesh t-shirts, velvet bodices, fluffy jumpers... it's just a case
of keeping your eyes open. This isn't limited to girls -
larger sized shirts / t-shirts / skirts-for-blokes are often
available.
Northern goths swear by the 'Schuh' chain for 'interesting' boots
although their ranges can vary and they can be expensive if
they don't have a sale on. Otherwise you may want to visit 'Ad Hoc'
in London (see Yellow Pages for branches), although their boots
are generally expensive all year round!
Second-hand and antique clothing shops are always worth a look
although you may have to search long and hard to find something
that fits you and that you can afford!
Beyond that, fetish and corset makers may offer some more expensive
additions to your outfits - latex wear and corsetry are currently
much in favour with goths; the trendier end of the 'club wear'
market can provide some excellent (if pricey) alternatives to the
standard range of clothes (e.g. Jan '97 - black devore dresses for 50
pounds); most of all, use your imagination, keep your eyes and mind
open and don't feel you need to have to the 'Dark and Mournful
Clothing Emporium' just to 'get the look'.
Having said that, here are some top recommendations of specialist
goth shops:
London
Kensington Market, High Street Kensington
['The Black Rose' http://www.blackrose.co.uk is the main goth
shop, although other shops in the market will undoubtedly
interest the discerning shopper!]
Camden Market, Camden Lock [Sat. and Sun.] although London posters
on the newsgroup warn against the 'Doc Rock' shop where the
overpersuasive sales staff have alledgedly rather deterred people
from wanting to ever go in there again!
Birmingham
Oasis Department Store, Corporation Street, Birmingham B1
Alternative department store, leather, rubber, boots, tight jeans
Rag Market, by Digbeth Bus Station, Birmingham B1
Hundreds of stalls inc. boots, leatherwear, trinkets, s/h
clothing
Edinburgh
Various shops on Cockburn Street and the Grassmarket.
Details of any more major cities are welcome if you feel they're
really worth a visit! For other shopping tips including smaller
towns and regions see:
http://www.darkwave.org.uk/~dok/Helix/
27. What paper-based fanzines exist?
Although fanzines are forever coming and going by their very nature,
here's some of the more respected reads, which vary in the regularity
of their output but should certainly have something available. Send
an SAE to the address given for subscription details.
Arsenic & Old Lace
15 Georgina Road, Beeston, Nottingham, NG9 1GQ.
Bats & Red Velvet
Flat 1, 112 St George's Terrace, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2
2DP.
Email: batsvelvet@aol.com
Dark Hours
Flat 4, 3 Agamemnon Road, West Hampstead, London NW6 1EB.
Email: dkhrs@darkhours.com
T-shirt also available: 'When the Dark Comes'
Grave Generation
L. Byrne, 3 Gladwyn Avenue, West Didsbury, Manchester,
M20 2XN.
Naked truth
Flat 4, 39 Hamilton Drive, Hillhead, Glasgow, G12 8DW
Tel 0141 334 6902
Lowlife (revived, for those who thought it had died)
c/o 11 Parkwood Road, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 2RN.
----
Updates are welcomed. Please email Andrew Oakley
with subject "UPG FAQ".
The UPG FAQ was originally written by Andrew Oakley
4/9/96
Thanks to:
James "Count B" Savage (sections 8, 17, 23)
JSA (13, 17, 26 & 27)
John Hawkes-Reed (9, 19, 20, 22 & 25)
Pat Hawkes-Reed (11, 13 & 16)
UPG FAQ editorial committee 1996
Alien
Charter and administrative info
Chris Billington of Christopher Davidson & Co. Solicitors, Cheltenham
Legal advice regarding copyright
Alison Gardner
Leather jacket painting
Dishmop Dave
Text mirroring & darkwave.org.uk sysadmin
Nic Gibson
netgoth.org.uk & netgoth.co.uk sysadmin
Dave Hodder
HTML conversion
Phil Jeffcock
alt.gothic FTP site administrator
Doktor Joy
Medical data & Helix links
Emma
Carole
Hair dyeing tips
Vlad
Positive side of vampire culture
...and everyone else on UPG who contributed.